


of midnight snacks and hellhounds

by signormythomagic



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, i wrote this with no purpose in mind, just wanted a cute scene, mcdonalds, will and nico raid camp halfblood's kitchen for ketchup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 12:20:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/signormythomagic/pseuds/signormythomagic
Summary: “So, what’d your father want your help with this time?” Will asks, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them while he reminisced. “Naughty spirits? Charon’s ferry spring a leak?”“I doubt I’d be much help in that last situation.”“Oh, I don’t know,” Will counters, feeling cheeky, “you’re constantly surprising me with all the random skills you’ve acquired over the years. I bet you’d actually make a great boat repairman.”
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 49





	of midnight snacks and hellhounds

**Author's Note:**

> ***************************there's a brief mention of a camper getting sick, just in case***************

Will leaves the infirmary, exhausted and a bit annoyed that his shift had ended up lasting way later than it should have. He wishes there was a god of paperwork so he could curse him for eternity. It’s already dark outside, the porch light only illuminates the way so far, so as he walks down the steps he doesn’t notice the figure standing in the shadows until he runs into it.

“Mmmf,” the figure grunts, causing Will to jerk back in surprise. He comes face to face with Nico, who’s holding a brown paper bag with the Mcdonald’s logo on it in one hand and a cup bearing the same in the other, looking rather rumpled in appearance but otherwise none the worse for wear. Immediately, Will’s mood shifts. “I thought you weren’t supposed to be back until this weekend?”

Nico is always going back and forth between the Underworld and Camp Half-Blood, running errands and doing odd jobs for his father now and then. Will doesn’t like that Hades calls upon his son so much.

Like, he’s a _god_ , what does he need from a fifteen year old that he can’t do for himself anyway?

Will had given up trying to convince Nico to tell Hades to fuck off months ago, after Will’s need to keep a loved one safe had turned him into someone pushy to the point of controlling and Nico into someone that went behind his back and left anyway, which had resulted in a scary argument that had left them too angry to speak to each other for almost an entire week. 

When they finally reconciled, Will, apologetic and ashamed of his behavior, had promised to trust that Nico wouldn’t push himself too hard, that he wasn’t going to be self-destructive.

It was good promise. One that Will tries hard to keep every time Nico has to leave and his worries threaten to suffocate him. He doesn’t ever want to make Nico think he has to choose between helping his father and keeping Will happy ever again.

He wraps his arms around Nico’s neck and pulls him in for a hug. It’s rather awkward, and Nico can’t return it due to the food he’s carrying, but Will relishes the feeling of Nico’s presence anyway.

“I’m glad you made it back in one piece,” he says into the dark, unruly curls at the base of Nico’s neck, holding him tight. “I missed you.”

“Me too,” whispers Nico as he pulls back, nose wrinkling as he looks at Will. “Why do you smell like bleach?”

Will sniffs the collar of his shirt and curses at the strong, chemically smell. “Ah, damn. You know that new kid Kerry? Son of Hermès with the mischievous glint in his eyes?” He waits for Nico to nod before continuing, “Yeah. Threw up all over the place when I had to reset his broken finger.” 

Nico moves even further away, giving Will a quick once over with a look of mild apprehension. “He didn’t get any on you, did he?”

“No,” Will grins, “Can’t say the same for the poor floors though. I spent the better part of an hour scrubbing them down.”

He glances down at Nico’s hands. “What’s in the bag?”

“Food. I figured you’d probably be hungry. Hope you like cold McNuggets.”

“I love them.” Will takes the proffered bag and peers inside before glancing back up at Nico. “No sauce?”

Nico frowns, “They were out, but I think they might have ketchup in the kitchens.” He perks up suddenly and holds out his hand, dark eyes twinkling, “Wanna pop over there and raid the pantry?”

Will laces their fingers together and lets Nico pull him into the darkness.

“You know, I’m very glad we found out how to keep you from getting so exhausted after shadowtravel,” Will says several minutes later as he sits on the counter, dipping a chicken nugget into a tiny bowl filled with ketchup.

Nico hums appreciatively, nibbling on a KitKat bar. He’s sitting on the giant metal island, feet dangling comically above the floor, fingers stained with chocolatey residue.

It’s such an adorable sight that Will bites into his nugget, pretending that the smile that spreads across his face is because he’s savoring the flavor.

“They _can’t_ be that good,” Nico laughs, watching him with doubtful amusement.

Will picks up another nugget.

“They are,” he says, and as if to prove it, finishes off the entire container in no time at all, taking a big swig of slightly watery sweet tea to wash it down. “Thank you. Did _you_ eat anything?” 

Nico holds up his KitKat, “I’m eating now.”

“ _Nico_ …”

“Yes, _William_ ,” Nico uses his full name, “I ate before making the jump to camp.”

“Good.”

Nico’s filled out quite a bit since the battle with Gaea. He’d been emaciated, practically half-alive when he showed up in that ridiculous Hawaiian shirt last summer. Will still has no idea how he’d even been standing back then, let alone prepared to fight. But now his cheeks are no longer sunken in, his face full and tinted with the color of life. He has dimples when he smiles, and Will wants them to stay there.

“So, what’d your father want your help with this time?” He asks, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them as Will reminisced. “Naughty spirits? Charon’s ferry spring a leak?”

“I doubt I’d be much help in that _last_ situation.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Will argues, feeling cheeky, “you’re constantly surprising me with all the random skills you’ve acquired over the years. I bet you’d actually make a great boat repairman.” 

Nico rolls his eyes, “I think I’ll leave the matters of nautical repair to Percy, although thank you for the vote of confidence. But no, what I actually wound up doing was catching a litter of rogue hellhound pups that kept digging up the flowers in Persephone’s garden.”

“So we can add animal control officer to your list of titles, then.”

Nico snorts, “Don’t be too hasty. The whole mission was a disaster from the get-go. Hellhounds are smart, and pups are especially tricky. Wound up chasing the little bastards all through the palace. You talk of cleaning vomit off the floor, but have you tried scrubbing away hellhound slobber? It sticks to everything, Will… _everything_ ,” Nico shivers, holding up his hands, “I can still feel it between my fingers.”

Will starts laughing. He can’t help himself, as the scene of Nico chasing several tiny pups accompanied by Yakety Sax playing on a loop runs through his mind. “How’d you wind up getting everything under control?”

“I didn’t.” Nico huffs, “Persephone turned them all into dandelions and carried them back to their mother before changing them back. She made me wear one of those old school housekeeping uniforms, complete with maid’s hat and apron, while I cleaned the mess up. Father convinced her to let me leave after I threatened to never come back.”

Will whistles low and slow, vowing right then to never get on the bad side of Nico’s stepmother. “If and when you offer to take me to the Underworld, remind me to refuse. I don’t think I could pull that uniform off.”

“Noted.” Nico deadpans.

Will giggles. “I’m sure _you_ did though. Too bad I didn’t get to see you wearing it.”

“And you never will.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“What about for Halloween though?”

“Not a chance.”

“My birthday?”

“In your dreams.”

“Oh I assure you, that possibility was a definite the moment you mentioned the outfit.”

“Ugh,” Nico groans. “You’re so annoying.”

“I try.”

“Just throw your trash away and get up,”Nico jumps off the kitchen island, wiping his hands on his pants. “I need to go to bed before I strangle you.”

Will does as he’s told and picks up the empty mcdonald’s containers, following Nico to the darkest corner of the kitchen with a cheery pep in his step. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, but I’ve thought about it. In fact,” Nico swivels around and regards him coolly, though Will can tell there’s no real malice in it. He reaches up to cup the back of Will’s neck and pulls him down, close enough that Will can feel Nico’s breath ghost across his lips as he whispers, “I’m thinking about it right now.”

Will’s responding laugh echoes around the empty kitchen long after Nico drags him into the shadows.

**Author's Note:**

> find me @signormythomagic on tumblr if ya want


End file.
